


am i just a monster?

by georgiehensley



Category: Groundhog Day - Minchin/Rubin
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Jekyll and Hyde, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Potions, Relationship Issues, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 13:24:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12433770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgiehensley/pseuds/georgiehensley
Summary: A monsterWere they right?Has the dark in me finally come to light?Am I a monster, full of rage,Nowhere to go but on a rampage?Or am I just a monster in a cage?-Elsa,Frozen: The Broadway MusicalWanting to be reckless without facing the consequences, Phil creates an alter ego for himself,Steven, who can pursue all of his hidden, shameful desires. But when that freedom starts to slip out of control, it's up to Phil to figure out a way to undo all of the destruction his Other has caused.





	am i just a monster?

**Author's Note:**

> you can thank @groundhogdaylesbian on tumblr for telling me about their _jekyll and hyde_ au for _groundhog day_. it's basically what i described in the summary, just with a few other plotpoints that you'll see appearing as the story goes on.
> 
> also, i was listening to "monster" from the _frozen_ denver audio boot, and thought it connected really well to this story. so i used it as a basis for the title and summary. (trust me, i'm not a _frozen_ fan, but it's a damn good song!)

“So, tell me, Mr. Connors,” the detective asks as he leans over the table, staring down at the man in question. “How did this all happen, exactly?” Phil sighs.

“You’ll never believe me.”

“Try me.”

“It’ll take a long time.”

“I’ve got all the time in the world,” the detective says, sitting down in a chair across the table. Phil glances up at the clock, watching as the seconds continue to tick away ever so slowly. Again, he sighs.

“It started like this…”

 

Raindrops fall in quick succession down from the sky as Phil runs down the street, sending even more water flying as he steps in almost every puddle that gets in his way. He ignores the wetness that seeps into his shoes, his clothes, his hair, fighting off the chill that threatens to reach his bones as he continues towards his house.

Once he reaches the front door, he sighs, stepping beneath the covering and pushing his hood off as he slips a hand into his pocket, searching for his keys. Finding them, he unlocks the door, stepping inside and locking it behind him. He tosses his keys onto the living room couch, shrugging his raincoat off and tossing that aside too, but not before taking out the contents of his other pocket.

He lifts the bottle of clear liquid and glances at it, biting the inside of his cheek. _Please work_.

He walks down the hall and opens the door to his basement, switching the light on before descending the stairs in a hurry of both excitement and nerves. Once he reaches the bottom, he switches on another light before stepping towards his worktable, sitting down and looking over the ingredients presented before him. Then, he gets to work, measuring out the amounts of ingredients he took so long to calculate, mixing them together in a beaker.

It’s when he reaches the final ingredient on his list, the clear liquid he just went out into the storm to get, that he pauses. He tries to reach for the bottle, but his hand shakes, so he pulls it back, wincing. _I have to do this_ , he thinks. _It’s the only way_.

Breathing in deeply, he reaches out again and grabs the bottle, ignoring the shaking of his hand, measuring out the exact amount of the liquid he will need before adding it to his mixture. The concoction has now become a thick, green liquid, and Phil once again winces at the sight. He ignores his distain, though, and grabs an empty bottle that he had put aside before, pouring his mixture into it. He pauses once more, contemplating his next move. Breathing in deeply, he brings the bottle up to his mouth, taking just one sip.

The pain that hits him is unbearable, as he cries out, practically curling in on himself as though _that_ will stop the burning fire that grows and spreads within him. He reaches out for something, _anything_ , that could relieve him of this pain, but his arms simply flail about, pushing bottles aside, sending that one clear liquid to the floor, the glass shattering as it hits the ground, puddle forming, growing, _spreading_ across the floor.

Suddenly, the screaming stops, and the pain is gone. The clear liquid spreads to the point that it hits the sole of the man’s shoe, only for him to move his foot out of the way, the rubber sole now squeaking against the dry part of the floor.

The man lifts his head, but it’s no longer Phil who stands in his place, instead a younger, handsomer man, one who grins as he realizes he’s finally been let out of his cage. He strides around the room, glancing over scientific notes he could care less about, wrinkling his nose at the mess made to the room. He only stops when he comes across a mirror – a small one, by that, but nevertheless, he catches his reflection, and he likes what he sees. He runs a hand through his hair, smirking, before that grows into a grin.

He starts to head back towards the staircase, only to stop when he nearly trips over a crumpled-up ball of paper. He bends down, picking it up and unfolding it, smoothing it against the nearest counter-top. He skims through all the boring scientific data, only to land on a more interesting note.

 

_September 26 th, 2017 9:23pm_

_I have decided to name this ‘other’ version of myself Steven. Why, you ask? Well, Steven sounds like the kind of guy who could get away with things like speeding or promiscuity, unlike a guy named **Phil**. Plus, Rita’s first boyfriend was named Steven, and from what she’s told me, he sounds like a crazy, reckless sort of guy – I wish I could be just like him someday._

_(Maybe now, I can.)_

 

_Steven, eh? I like the sound of that._ The man smirks once more as he tosses the note aside, continuing in his path towards the staircase, narrowly side-stepping the growing puddle on the way. He climbs up the stairs before entering the living room, seeing a keyring with the keys to a car discarded on top of the couch. He grins, bending over the armrest to grab them. Suddenly, a loud clap of thunder is heard as a flash of lighting momentarily lights up the house. The man – _Steven_ – only smirks once more. _A little rain won’t stop me_. He grabs the rain coat too and throws it on before leaving the house, slamming the door shut behind him, eager to go out into the world.


End file.
